The Best Dark Horse Comics: Where to Start With Dark Horse Comic Books?

Dark Horse is one of the most consistent comic book publishers, right up there with Image and Vertigo Comics, with a unique blend of licensed properties (Alien, Predator, Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and creator-owned masterworks (Hellboy, Concrete, Mind Mgmt, Black Hammer).

Below you’ll find a complete list of the best Dark Horse Comics so you can fully enjoy what the publisher has to offer. The various offerings are broken into sections, which you can enjoy and explore one piece at a time without worrying about crossover or reading order lists between sections.

Before you dive in, I’ll note that Mind MGMT, Usagi Yojimbo, Grendel, and Fear Agent all crack the top 50 of my favorite comics of all time. Additionally, Comic Book Herald fans may note that many of the Dark Horse Star Wars titles are now available via Marvel’s digital library service, Marvel Unlimited, due to the licensing rights changing when Disney purchased LucasArts.

Dark Horse Comic Books

Paul Chadwick’s Concrete

This doesn’t do it justice, but imagine if Marvel’s Benjamin J. Grimm, the ever-lovin blue-eyed Thing, was freed from the tropes of superheroism and instead found himself exploring the depths of humanity in the late 80’s indie comics movement. That’s the foundation from which Paul Chadwick’s incredible Concrete builds, and rarely ceases to amaze.

Eddie Campbell’s Bacchus

The publication history of Bacchus is confusing as Greek mythology, but for all intents and purposes Dark Horse published much of Eddie Campbell’s excellent Bacchus, so I’m happy to include it on a best Dark Horse comics list (the license later moves to Top Shelf for what it’s worth).

Campbell is probably best known among comics fans as the artist on From Hell with Alan Moore, but Bacchus allows Campbell to fully develop a universe and mythology full of pathos and black humor.

Alien

Dark Horse’s first, terrifically successful foray into licensed movie comics. While these could easily be throwaway cash grabs based on some hot intellectual property, Dark Horse actually sinks top creative talent and ideas into their Aliens comic books, imbuing new life into the franchise.

Predator

See also: Successful was, Aliens. Of particular note here is the fact that Predator has fought Batman in three separate out of continuity brouhahah’s, and in 2015 took on Archie and Riverdale in what can only be considered an all out glorious massacre.

Aliens vs. Predator

The Terminator

This section of Dark Horse history contains one of the most fascinating creative team-ups in comic book history, with Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil: Born Again) and Walt Simonson (The greatest Thor run in history) teaming up to pit Robocops v. Terminators.

Matt Wagner’s Grendel

I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the first Omnibus edition of Matt Wagner’s Grendel. I was largely underwhelmed with Wagner’s popular Mage: The Hero Discovered, but Grendel is a stunning comics achievement.

Frank Miller’s Sin City

For my money it’s not my favorite Frank Miller comic (that title goes to either The Dark Knight Returns or Daredevil #168 to #191), but Sin City delivers exactly what it promises, with good, violent crime noir. If you came from the movie, you won’t be disappointed.

Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo

If I could only recommend one comic book to a non-descript reader of any potential age, and my life depended on their enjoyment, I’d pick Usagi Yojimbo. Stan Sakai’s wandering Ronin Rabbit is an endless world of story, morality tale, and timeless action.

Conan by Kurt Busiek, Timothy Truman, and Company (2000’s)

I’ve never been particularly up to speed with the long and storied Conan the Barbarian history, but like he did with the Avengers in the late 90’s, Kurt Busiek makes Conan accessible and instantly intriguing for a new generation of comics readers.

Serenity by Joss Whedon

Fear Agent by Rick Remender

One of my all-time favorite comics, and a comic that frequently ranks near the top of my “Books I want to read any time I think about them” rankings. Fear Agent may not be my favorite Rick Remender comic (I can’t say enough about Uncanny X-Force), but it’s certainly in the conversation.

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About Dave

Dave is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comic Book Herald, and also the Boss of assigning himself fancy titles. He's a long-time comic book fan, and can be seen most evenings in Batman pajama pants. Contact Dave @comicbookherald on Twitter or via email at dave@comicbookherald.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Have you read Jeff Lemire’s “Black Hammer”? It’s only six issues and one annual in but it is shaping up to be the most intriguing story I’ve ever read and possibly one of the best series in the superhero genre at present. It’s also getting a lot of love among both fans and critics on comicbookroundup.com.

Hold up, hoooold up. You’re going to go all the way through a Dark Horse comics post and not even mention Groo the Wanderer!?! Captain Midnight isn’t here either…

I’m mostly kidding.

Usagi Yojimbo is probably my favorite comic of all time. I’ve read most of it through twice and will probably do so again next year.

Groo and Usagi are the only two Dark Horse comics i read regularly, but i’ve tried a bunch of stuff.

I read all of Captain Midnight and some of the other Project Black Sky material earlier this year. Maybe its because i wasn’t expecting much from it, but i thought Captain Midnight was great fun. I’m sad to see it didn’t do any better and that Dark Horse gave it a half ass ending. Most of that series is on Hoopla if anyone wants to give it a try.

I tried Concrete but i didn’t really grab me enough to keep reading it. I’ll go back to it someday when i’m in the mood for something somber.

Kurt Busiek and Carey Nord’ Conan is really really good. I’ve marvel’s Conan and Savage Sword. That one beats the other two.

I had two of those Indiana Jones Omnibus books. I regret selling them off. I got each of them for $4. They just keep going up in price now.

I’ve had Nexus waiting in my queue for a long time. The first several omnibus edition are on Hoopla as well. I might need to push it to the top of the pile.

Its a shame they lost the star wars license. I’ve read quite a bit of their later material and its very enjoyable. I’m worried that the new marvel star wars is going to be too bland.

Sounds like I need to read some Groo the Wanderer 🙂 It’s unfair, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get past the “I am Groo” stage of this relationship.

$4 for an Omnibus collection is a steal! Live and learn, I guess.

My early(ish) take on Star Wars is that Dark Horse took the universe in far more interesting directions, but never had the Movie connections to tie-in as heavily as Marvel will. Will be interesting to see if Marvel ever plays in the expanded universe toybox in similar ways.